* Reliable Source: Rep. Patrick Kennedy receives six stitches in his lip after being accidentally struck in the head with a hammer. [WP]
* Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Teresa Heinz Kerry was reportedly restrained by a staffer so Edwards could reach Kerry first after his convention acceptance speech. [NYDN]
* Liz Smith: Fred Barnes wants Rice to replace Cheney, Senor to replace McClellan, and Rove to jump to the RNC. [NYP]
* Cindy Adams: Stylist Patricia Field does up Ari Fleischer. [NYP]

* Libby reveals that Bush, Cheney authorized the leaking of classified information to defend the war in Iraq; Rove, Fleisher, Powell, Armitage, Tenet will likely be called to testify. Bush in 2003: “If there’s a leak out of the administration, I want to know who it is. And if a person has violated law, the person will be taken care of.” [WP, NYT, WSJ, USAT]
* Development makes Bush a central player in leak story; court papers “implicate Bush as knowing about efforts to disseminate sensitive information — and also as orchestrating them.” Senior White House official says Bush sees a difference between leaks and what he reportedly condoned. [WP]
* Bush had the legal authority to approve disclosure, say experts, but “the leak was highly unusual and amounted to using sensitive intelligence data for political gain.” [WP]
* Senators leaders agree on immigration legislation –a “shot at citizenship” for most of the country’s illegal population, a guest-worker program, and tougher security– though passage is “uncertain.” [WP, NYT, USAT]
* Gonzales says Bush could authorize warrantless eavesdropping of domestic calls: “I’m not going to rule it out.” [WP, NYT]
* McKinney: “I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation. And I apologize.” [WP, WP, USAT]

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Ari! You’re reduced to this? MORE »

• Resignation of Andrew Card could be the beginning of a “second-term overhaul.” Senior official: “The president’s style is not Saturday Night Massacre.” [WP, NYT, W$J, LAT, USAT]
• Resignation of Card indicates that Bush is increasingly “deferring to the expectations of Washington conventional wisdom.” Anonymous official: “Part of what you are seeing is some adjustment to the political realities.” Ari Fleischer: “There was a drumbeat out there that the president’s staff could not miss and Bush could not miss.” [WP]
• FISA court judges voice opposition to warrentless eavesdropping. [NYT]
• Shiites contend that Bush opposes the Iraqi prime minister. [NYT]
• Department of Homeland Security is experiencing a dangerous “brain drain.” [USAT]
• Democratic leaders set to unveil plan for “real security,” though “most of the proposals are not new.” [NYT]

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* Administration and Sen. Frist (R-Tenn.) agree on 45-day review of Dubai port deal. Scott McClellan: “We believe, however, the additional time and investigation at the request of the company will provide Congress with a better understanding of the facts, and that Congress will be comfortable with the transaction moving forward once it does.” [WP, NYT, NYT, W$J, USAT]
* States make decisions on the “morning-after” pill as the FDA wavers. [WP]
* Army will reimburse Halliburton subsidiary for nearly $2.4b despite findings of overcharges. [NYT]
* Bush sets off on whirlwind two-day tour of India. [NYT]
* Mike McCurry on the White House press briefings: “It has turned into a theater of the absurd.” Ari Fleischer: “The public perceives the press not as watchdogs but as attack dogs.” [NYT]

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In this edition of Chatology, Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff pulls a half-Ginsburg, spinning through both Meet the Press and This Week. On various issues, Chertoff blames Michael Brown, Mary Matalin blames the media, Joe Lieberman blames Chertoff, Evan Bayh blames the Democrats, and David Gregory blames himself. Random wisdom from Ari Fleischer: “You can be right and still be bonkers.” Speaking of which: Cheney is “almost like the wizard dealing with the muggles” — Howard Fineman.

Full rundown and highlights after the jump.

[Ed. note: Don't miss Ana Marie Cox's appearance at the National Press Club, this Wednesday, February 22, at 6:30 PM. For more details, as well as information about how to obtain tickets to this free event, click here.]

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• House Republicans are debating whether to permanently replace Rep. Tom DeLay as majority leader; the next congressional leadership is unclear. [WP, WT, LAT]
• Prosecutor expands investigation of DeLay to include election expenditures. [WP]
• Senate Democrats tell Samuel Alito to anticipate tough questions at his confirmation hearings; lawmakers “competing madly to prejudge the judge,” says Dana Milbank. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.): “Judge Alito has more to answer for than any other Supreme Court nominee in memory.” [WP, NYT, WP, WT]
• Few heated comments were exchanged when Bush met with 13 former secretaries of state and defense; Colin Powell remained silent. Ari Fleischer: “I think [Bush is] now testing whether enough time and bitterness have passed since the parties, and the country, were so deeply split during the 2004 campaign.” [WP, NYT, USAT]
• Jack Abramoff affair raises the prospect for increased restrictions on lobbying. [NYT, LAT]

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During yesterday

Karl Rove is testifying right now this instant, and according to the New York Times’ senior administration official, “Everyone is going about the work at hand while bracing for the worst case.” What, exactly, would that be? Speculation has raised the possibility of double-digit indictments, though we have trouble — even in theory — getting past eight: MORE »

We hate to interrupt the Miers frenzy, but other news is still happening in Washington, including a little-known investigation into who leaked the name of a CIA agent to the media some time ago. Judith Miller’s less-than-startling revelation about the identity of her source (Cheney aide Scooter Libby), paired with the mounting suspicion that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald does not seem to have the evidence to prove anyone broke the law, has people wondering what his real project might be. The Washington Post today floats a theory that Fitzgerald is putting together a criminal conspiracy case against the White House, charging that “at least two or more officials agreed to take affirmative steps to discredit and retaliate against Wilson and leak sensitive government information about his wife.” No laws have to be broken in a criminal conspiracy, which lowers the bar somewhat. But does anyone want a bar so low it thwacks everyone in the head? You make “two or more government official taking steps to retaliate against a critic” criminal, and only criminals will take steps to retaliate against a critic. MORE »

Confirmed: Clinton White House hotter than Bush White House, and not just because of the kinky non-sex. Okay, it’s probably because of the kinky non-sex. But how can you argue with this comparison?